Document management systems are becoming increasingly more common across organizations of all sizes. Organizations are utilizing document management systems as a tool to store documents of many types. Commonly, a single employee can generate several documents a day. Further, some documents, such as invoices or periodic account statements, are generated by automated process in large numbers and stored in the organizational document management system. Thus, the number of stored documents increases over time.
Documents are generally stored by document management systems in a linear fashion as documents are generated. File names typically are concise and are not descriptive of a document to an extent to allow easy searches. Thus, although some document management systems may use a folder/directory structure that might provide partial insight about a document, the full details, are not apparent at the individual document level.
Document management solutions generally involves end-user training in the new user interface, terminology and functionality available in a document management system; it might also require a software to be installed (a “thick-client”) on each of the users' boxes.
To organize documents, document management systems commonly include a database structure that stores metadata describing stored documents. To retrieve a document, a user generally utilizes a software component that must be loaded on the user's desktop. The user then utilizes that software component by entering data into a searching user interface regarding a needed document. This searching user interface of a document management system includes different fields in which to enter data descriptive of a document sought. After entering the information, a list of documents is retrieved and presented to the user in yet another user interface. However, the user may not have access to all of the documents displayed. Thus, document management systems, despite providing certain benefits, create additional support and training issues for organizations.